Pete Suda passed away peacefully on Monday, May 5, 2014 at the age of 94. He was born in St. Louis, Mo., on Oct. 11, 1919 to Paul and Eva (Dicko) Suda.

Paul and Eva had six children, three girls and three boys. They lived in a flat on 11th Street when the stock market crashed in 1929, which was the beginning of the Depression.

Pete graduated the eighth grade and worked along with his brothers and sisters to help support he family.

In January 1942, Pete joined the Army and went to Camp Grant, Ill., and then to California to an anti-aircraft battalion. He was in the medics and later reassigned to the Engineers Corps.

While in California, he met Garnet Arnold and fell in love. The two were married on July 14, 1944, in Ft. Bliss, Texas, before Pete was shipped off to France. Pete served in WWII and was awarded two Bronze Stars and a Good Conduct Medal for the Central Europe Campaign.

After the war, Pete returned home to Garnet and a baby daughter, Carmen. He went to carpenter school and learned his trade through the GI Bill. They had four more children, Michael, Stephen, Theresa and JoAnn.

In 1965, Pete received his general contractor’s license and began his own business building new homes. They lived in the “Suda House” on Lassen Street in Richmond, Calif. It was a great house, which Pete remodeled to accommodate the large family.

In 1968, after their son Stephen graduated, they sold the “Suda House” and moved to Oak Harbor, Wash. Pete built a new home for his family and continued to build homes for clients all over the island.

Pete and Garnet moved to Balda Road on five acres of land and had many more wonderful years there.

When Pete retired, he and Garnet left the island and moved to Arizona into a gated senior park, made new friends and enjoyed the fun and sun for 15 years. They loved to golf, swim and entertain. It was a wonderful time for them.

When health issues arose, they returned to Oak Harbor to be near their daughters and grandchildren. They lived in a cottage on Whidbey Avenue and later moved to Summerhill Retirement Community. Summerhill took excellent care of Garnet and Pete. Garnet passed away of cancer in July 2013. Pete so missed his loving wife of 69 years, he passed away on May 5, 2014.

Pete is survived by his daughters, Carmen (Gene) Andre and JoAnn (David) Wichers, of Oak Harbor, and sons, Michael Suda, of Oakland, Calif., and Stephen (Samantha) Suda, of El Solorante, Calif.

Also surviving are grandchildren James (Marli) Andre, Michelle Salazar, Daniel Wichers and Christopher Wichers, and great-grandchildren Sean, Sophia and Joshua Andre.

Preceding him in death were his wife, Garnet, his parents and a daughter, Theresa.

A Celebration of Life for Pete will be held 3 p.m. Friday, May 16 at Wallin Funeral Home with Certified Life Celebrant Gary Wallin officiating. Interment at Maple Leaf Cemetery will follow with Rev. Paul Pluth, J.C.L. officiating.

Military honors will be conducted under the auspices of the United States Army. Family and friends are invited to a reception at the funeral home immediately following the committal.

Please visit Pete’s Book of Memories page at the funeral home website, www. wallinfuneralhome.com to share memories and condolences.